Paw'd Defiance

The COVID-19 pandemic laid bare the inequities built into the U.S. healthcare system. In this episode of the podcast we continue our conversation with UW Tacoma Assistant Professor Sharon Laing and UW Associate Profesor Wendy Barrington. We talk specifically about how the pandemic has disproportionately impacted communities of color. Laing and Barrington also discuss the health impacts of racism and why racism should be deemed a public health crisis.

Listen to Part I: https://www.buzzsprout.com/265902/4900661-racism-is-a-public-health-crisis-part-i

On this episode of the podcast we talk about the social determinants of health with UW Tacoma Assistant Professor Sharon Laing and UW Associate Professor Wendy Barrington. Laing and Barrington research how different factors, including racism, impact a person's health. We'll talk about how racist policies and practicies negatively impact health outcomes for people of color. These outcomes include higher instances of certain diseases and a lower average life expectancy.

Listen to Part II: https://www.buzzsprout.com/265902/5067431-racism-is-a-public-health-crisis-part-ii

Pro Bono means 'for the good.' In this sense we're talking about the public good or the common good. In this episode of the podcast we talk UW Tacoma Legal Pathways Director Patricia Sully and Tacomaprobono's Ashley Duckworth. Tacomaprobono provides free legal services to Pierce County residents. We'll talk about those services and as well as the different career opportunities within the legal field. We'll also address the pandemic and the looming eviction crisis as states across the country, including Washington, lift moratoriums on evictions. 

*Note: This episode was recorded before Governor Inslee extended the eviction moratorium until October 15.

UW Tacoma Associate Professor Jane Compson joins us to talk about mindfulness. Compson researches mindfulness and has created a program to help caregivers manage stress. We'll talk about her work and her efforts to incorporate mindfulness into the classroom. Compson will also walk us through a short mindfulness meditation.

The Tacoma Urban League has been serving the Grit City for more than 50 years.The Urban League's mission is "to assist African Americans and other underserved urban residents in the achievement of social equality and economic independence." In this episode we talk with the Urban League's President & CEO T'wina Nobles about differrent programs and services the organization offers. We also discuss the Black Lives Matter Movement, the effort to Make Black Count and how Nobles overcame homelessness and hardship to get to where she is today. 

Harold Moss is a local icon. The civil rights advocate and businessman became Tacoma's first African-American mayor in 1994. Moss recently sat down with UW Tacoma part-time lecturer Kim Davenport to talk about his life, including his experiences with racism in Tacoma and the death of George Floyd.

In this episode we hear from three members of the class of 2020. Raihab Baig, Aaron Johnson and Stacey Fernandez reflect on their time at UWT. They also discuss the challenges of this past quarter as COVID-19 forced all instruction to go online. Finally, the three talk about graduating from college at a time of so much uncertainty.

This is a special episode of the podcast. We asked the UW Tacoma community to help us congratulate the class of 2020. A number of faculty, staff and even some parents responded with their messages. Enjoy!

The COVID-19 pandemic brought out the best in people and the worst. In this episode we talk about racism directed at members of the Asian American community. We spoke with students, faculty and staff at UW Tacoma to get their perspectives on racist insults and attacks targeting Asian Americans. Rachel Endo, the Dean of UW Tacoma’s School of Education helps put what we’re seeing now into a larger historical perspective. Staff Psychologist and avid runner Paolo Laraño discusses racism he’s experienced while out for a jog. He also discusses the murder of fellow runner Ahmaud Arbery. Finally, UW Tacoma students Melissa Atienza and Joseph Daynot provide insight into their everyday experiences as Asian Americans.

Jeff Rice is the Managing Editor at the Puget Sound Institute at the University of Washington Tacoma. As a wildlife sound recordist, he serves as the program director for the Acoustic Atlas, one of the largest online archives of sounds of the American West. Rice has a background in journalism and public radio, as well as an MFA in Electronic Music and Recording Media. Rice has successfully found a way to marry his love for nature, storytelling and audio engineering in his work while also making an impact on the world around him.

Sounds and Music from this podcast were used with permission, courtesy of Jeff Rice.

Acoustic Atlas - www.acousticatlas.org
Puget Sound Institute - www.pugetsoundinstitute.org
Jeff Rice's website - www.ecosystemsound.com